Pulling on her jeans and a dark green sweatshirt, Luna shoved her feet into a pair of loafers and left her room. Across the hall, the door to Geraldine’s old room was closed. Luna felt a pang as she imagined cleaning it out and making it ready for paying guests. But it was a wonderful room with a balcony and a view of the water, so leaving it as a shrine to Geraldine was not a sound business decision.
Luna was determined to make sound business decisions and justify Colin’s faith in her. But the rest of this particular night wasn’t about business. Whether Geraldine had envisioned a relationship between Colin and Luna or not, she’d set the wheels in motion for them to meet. Luna couldn’t shake the feeling that Geraldine would have wanted them to be friends, at the very least.
Luna hadn’t had many friends in her life. As she took the long walk from her bedroom to Colin’s, she went over the short list. First was Cecily, a girl she’d met as a child in New Orleans. Luna had abandoned any hope of staying friends with Cecily after the first shift happened. As a runaway teen, she’d had superficial connections with people and Weres, but nothing lasting.
Coming to Le Floret a year ago had changed her life. Geraldine had welcomed her with open arms, and that had been enough of an endorsement for Janet, Sybil, and Dulcie to draw her into their tight circle. Now Luna counted all of them as dear friends.
Hector was the only Were on the island who hadn’t totally accepted her. She would have to deal with that now that they were all staying on the island.
She didn’t have to think about Hector tonight, however. Tonight she would stargaze with Colin MacDowell, Laird of Glenbarra. His door was open, but she knocked on the door frame anyway, because she felt odd simply wandering in. She didn’t see him anywhere in the astronomy-themed room.
She’d been here once, when Geraldine had taken her on a tour of Whittier House and had spent a great deal of time pointing out the details of this room. Luna had wondered why this paragon Geraldine obviously adored hadn’t come back to visit, but Geraldine had explained that he’d become responsible for the entire MacDowell pack and couldn’t get away. She’d seemed at peace with his absence, although a little wistful that she hadn’t seen him in fifteen years.
Hinges creaked, and Colin’s denim-covered legs emerged from the trapdoor at the top of the metal spiral staircase leading to the tower above.
“I’m here,” she called out.
“Good.” His accent made it sound like gud. “The scope is ready.” He started down the stairs, his gym shoes creating a dull chime as they hit each step. He’d obviously changed clothes, too, and had on his Space Needle hooded sweatshirt from the night before.
The first time she’d stepped into this room, she hadn’t paid much attention to the bed other than to notice that the bedspread and curtains matched. But with Colin actually present in the room, the decor became less important and the bed took on more significance.
Luna had seen enough movies and read enough books to know that sex could take place anywhere, but beds were the most common location for humans or those in human form. After years spent working in hotels, Luna easily identified this one as a queen size, which was plenty big enough for two.
“My aunt probably told you that she was responsible for my love of astronomy,” Colin said.
Luna’s attention, previously riveted to the bed, snapped abruptly back to him. “She did.” His chocolate and caramel hair had been tossed by the night breeze, and his blue eyes glowed with anticipation. Maybe the prospect of stargazing was responsible for that glow, but Luna thought she might have something to do with it, too.
Colin glanced around the room. “She told me to aim for the stars.”
“She said that to me, too.”
“And you’ve done that. You’re determined to take what you have, which is a foothold on this island, and turn it into something that will benefit you and many others.”
She’d come up with her plan for primarily selfish reasons, and his praise made her uncomfortable. “It’s a matter of survival,” she said quietly.
“I understand, but I think it’s more than that. You have vision, Luna. I’m not sure I can say the same.”
“But it’s easier for me. I have only myself to think about. From what Geraldine said, y’all have to consider the needs of your entire pack. That takes a different kind of vision.”
He smiled. “You are entirely too good for my ego. Shall we go up?”
The effect of that bright, genuine, and damn sexy smile was instantaneous and devastating. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think or even manage to make herself walk toward the spiral staircase. She stared at him while a voice inside her head shouted, Take me! Take me now!
“Luna?” He peered at her. “Are you all right?’
With a quick shake of her head, she cleared the lust from her brain. She’d been right to avoid sexual entanglement in the past if it turned her into a deaf-mute with a one-track mind.
But now, with Colin, she’d let down her guard. “I’m fine.” She held her breath as she walked past him because his musky scent was liable to draw her into another catatonic state. She didn’t want him to think that she was so easily distracted or he might reconsider his decision to put her in charge of Whittier House.
Somehow she made it up the metal staircase without tripping or falling backward into his arms. She considered that maneuver, because she desperately wanted him to wrap those strong arms around her and give her another kiss. The very thought of it created squiggles in her belly and a moistness between her legs.
So this was what arousal was all about. If she turned her passion loose, would it flatten her and everything in its path? She had no way of knowing.
But Colin radiated a strength and steadiness that she believed she could count on. He wasn’t that much older than she was in terms of years, but he was vastly more experienced in the ways of the world, and the way of Weres in sexual situations.
Plus Geraldine had loved him. That more than anything had convinced her that she could safely let herself go. Maybe rationalization came into play, because she wanted to surrender and didn’t care to consider potential drawbacks. But whether her trust was well placed or not, she’d never know unless she took a chance.
Grabbing handholds on the roof outside the trapdoor, she pulled herself through the opening and crawled rather ungracefully onto the flat roof, which was surrounded by the gap-toothed parapet of the tower. Once out, she stood and took a deep breath of cool night air scented with the tang of salt.
The whisper of waves stroking soft sand drifted up from the beach, and a three-quarter moon cast a silver path across the dark water. Tipping back her head, she gazed at stars flung like powdered sugar over the night sky.
“Incredible, isn’t it?”
At the sound of his low voice with its soft Scottish burr coming from less than three feet away, she tingled all over. “Yes.”
“Ever been up here before?”
“No.” She lowered her gaze before she grew dizzy. “I have a touch of acrophobia.”
“You should’ve told me, lass. I wouldn’t have asked you to climb up here if I’d known that.”
“No problem.” She glanced over at him. “Having someone with me makes a difference. And now that I know the parapets are waist high, that helps, too. Standing on the ground, it’s impossible to tell how high they are. If they’d only been a foot or two, I’d be hyperventilating right now.” As it was, she still felt slightly breathless, mostly because he appeared mysteriously sexy in the moonlight.
She had the urge to know how he looked as a wolf, although she wasn’t about to ask him to shift for her benefit. But if she allowed him to teach her about Were sex, then logically they’d need to try it as wolves in order to make her education complete. Thinking of that made her shiver with pleasure.
He moved closer. “Cold?”
“Not really. I only—”
“If you are, I brought up a quilt from my bedroom.”
“Oh?” The word came out high pitched—almost, but not quite, a squeak.
He chuckled. “Don’t worry, lass. I’m not going to pounce on you.”
If only you would and make the decision for me. “I’m sure you aren’t the pouncing type.”
His smile flashed in the silvery light from the moon. “What type do you think I am, then?”
“The gentle, persuasive type.” And that worked for her, too, especially if he’d start persuading sometime soon. She did sort of want to look through the telescope, but she really, really wanted him to kiss her.
“My brother, Duncan, would disagree with your assessment. He says I’m dictatorial and demanding. Oh, and old-fashioned, as well. Mustn’t forget that bit.”
“Why?” She wondered if this was a side of Colin she should know about if he was going to be her boss.
“I believe in heeding the lessons from the past, and he doesn’t.” His tone was light, but an undercurrent of anger filtered through.
“I’ve never been part of a family, but isn’t that the way the oldest and youngest tend to roll?”
“Roll?” He seemed confused.
“It’s an expression over here that means how someone operates in the world.”
“Ah.” He sighed. “Then disregarding the past is how Duncan rolls.”
“And instead, you treasure it.”
“Aye, and respect it.”
“I’m glad, because if you didn’t, you’d probably be selling Whittier House to the highest bidder.”
“True.” He rubbed his knuckles against his chin in what seemed like an unconscious gesture. “About that, I know it’s not practical, but I’d like to make my old bedroom off-limits to guests.”
“I was hoping you would.” When he was gone, she’d take comfort in knowing he had a designated space here at Whittier House, and that he wasn’t quite as transient as he claimed.
“Gives me a place for my telescope,” he said with a grin.
“Exactly.”
“Come on over here and take a look.” He walked toward the tripod he’d placed near the parapet. “I’ve focused it on Saturn. It’s the most dramatic one. Just look into that eyepiece there.”
“Okay.” She found his enthusiasm endearing. Crossing to the telescope, she leaned over and peered through the lens. Her breath caught at the image, which was so clear it could have been a poster of the ringed planet. “I see it! I don’t know what I expected, but this is amazing!”
“My aunt provided me with a really fine telescope.” His hand came to rest on her shoulder. “I didn’t realize how expensive it was until I bought myself one in Scotland.”
She felt the warmth of his touch down to her toes, and suddenly the image of Saturn didn’t interest her at all. That was a shame, because it really was exciting to be gazing out into space at a planet so far away from her. But his hand on her shoulder was a million times more exciting. And a million times closer than Saturn.
Still, she didn’t have the heart to tell him that she’d lost interest in his carefully focused view of Saturn, one he’d set up especially for her. So she kept staring at it while she tried to remember the last thing he’d said.
Oh, yes. He’d bought himself a telescope over in Scotland. “Are there places to stargaze in Scotland?” Her voice sounded a little quivery, but maybe he wouldn’t notice.
“Aye. Galloway Forest is a premier spot.” He massaged her shoulder in a slow, circular motion.
Her body began to hum, but for all she knew, he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing. He was, after all, crazy about this astronomy stuff and might have forgotten all about her sexual education.
Trying to be delicate about it, she cleared the huskiness from her throat. “Lots of stars?”
“At least seven thousand.” He continued his absentminded caress.
“That’s quite a few.” Her heart pounded so loud that she thought he might be able to hear it. The image in the telescope lens grew wobbly because she couldn’t concentrate on it properly.
He kneaded her shoulder now, and his fingertips pressed a little deeper than before. “In comparison, if you’re in Edinburg, you might see about five hundred stars. This island is excellent for stargazing, but Galloway Forest is even better.”
She was ready to melt into a puddle at his feet. She could barely think, let alone speak, but she managed a breathless comment. “How lucky for you.”
“Yes.”
And then she heard it—a hitch in his breathing. Either he was getting carried away by the thought of all those stars in the heavens, or he was getting carried away by something closer to home. She held her breath and listened to make sure what she’d heard wasn’t the sound of waves on the beach.
Nope, it was Colin, and he was breathing much faster. Something was affecting him. The more she thought about it, the more she concluded that it wasn’t his enthusiasm for astronomy that had him going like that.
She swallowed. In for a penny, in for a pound. “Uh, Colin?”
He took his hand away. “What?”
She hadn’t wanted him to stop touching her. In fact, she wished he’d bring both hands into play. She lifted her head and turned to look at him. Sure enough, the rapid rise and fall of his chest told her that she’d been right. “Seeing Saturn was amazing, but I—”
“You want to see something different.”
“Well, the thing is… ” What could she say? That she felt a desperate need for something, and although she didn’t know quite what that was for sure, she thought he might have a clue?
“How about Jupiter?” He stepped toward the telescope and leaned over it. “I can probably pull in—”